New Zealand is facing challenges in maintaining and upgrading infrastructure, such as roads and water. Our District has generally managed its water assets well in the changing legislative environment. However, the costs of maintaining and improving this infrastructure is putting pressure on both central and local governments agencies and ultimately on taxpayers and ratepayers.
Local Water Done Well introduces changes to how water services are managed in the future. There are new rules for investment, borrowing and pricing, and new options for delivering water services.
Local Water Done Well requires councils to choose a water services delivery model that will best meet their community’s needs, provided it also meets financial sustainability and compliance standards.
It incentivises councils to collaborate, by allowing jointly owned council-controlled organisations to borrow more money, specifically against three waters assets, to invest only in water infrastructure. This allows councils to continue to invest in other key infrastructure areas more easily.
